Rorschach inkblot technique. Rorschach test

  • 15.10.2019

Back in 1921, Swiss psychiatrist and psychologist Hermann Rorschach created a personality test named after him - Rorschach test, also known under the names: “Spots or Rorschach blots”, as well as the “ink blot technique”, which is still quite in demand and popular with psychologists and psychotherapists in diagnosing the psyche, its disorders and disorders.

The term "Psychodiagnostics" was also coined by Rorschach.

The stimulus material of the Rorschach projective test consists of 10 amorphous (weakly structured) black-and-white and color pictures, the so-called. Rorschach spots, symmetrical along the axis and arranged in a certain order from 1 to 10.

Rorschach test online

Rorschach test online is possible only in a truncated form, because to get real psychodiagnostic results, it is necessary to have an examination in the presence of a psychologist, and even in combination with others, including clinical studies and a survey of the subject. In this case, the tested person, looking at the image, the Rorschach stain, uses free associations and says the first thing that comes to mind: a word, an image, a representation…

What a person "sees" in a blot (ink stain) will help determine the characteristics of his personality and psyche - the norm and deviations, up to personal, neurotic disorders and pathology.

So, the Rorschach test online, pass for free

Now, if you're ready, you can go Rorschach test online, free in a truncated version…
You are invited to answer questions about what you think each picture looks like, a Rorschach inkblot.

Attention! For the purity of the Rorschach test, first, in order, look at each inkblot and, based on personal associations, tell yourself (preferably write down) what comes to your mind: what does the Rorschach stain remind you of, what does it look like ...
Then, at the end of the content (page), select the definitions that suit your associations by the number of each blot. Click on the result button and find out a lot about your personality.

Those who wish to take the famous Rorschach test with the participation of a psychologist, for example, via Skype, and receive the most reliable personality studies together with psychoanalysis, can SIGN UP for online psychodiagnostics with home page site.


Rorschach inkblot technique - take the test

Blob №1


Blob №2


Blob #3


Blob №4


Blob №5


Blob №6


Blob №7


Blob №8


Blob #9


Blob №10

The inventor of this test, like many famous people, died without learning about his contribution to the study and study of personality, the human psyche. After the death of the author, psychologists began to successfully apply the developments of the Swiss psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach (Rorschach) for a whole century. The Rorschach projective test is based on showing the subject 10 cards with the image of a symmetrical ink blot. If you look at their photos, you can see that five of them are black, three are colored, and two are red-black.

What is a Rorschach test

The Rorschach technique is a psychodiagnostic study of personality. It was published by Hermann Rorschach in 1921. The second name of the test is Rorschach spots or blots. A seemingly simple test, which is carried out using stimulus materials (cards with pictures), allows you to study the personality in detail, accurately determine the emotional state, find personality disorders and mental abnormalities up to schizophrenia, and identify an indicator of intelligence. Its passage takes a little time and does not require special skills.

Preparing a person for a Rorschach test

To pass a psychological test based on Rorschach pictures, no special preparation is required. However, the passage should be postponed if the day before you:

  • nervous, worried;
  • consumed alcoholic beverages or drugs;
  • took medications that affect the neurological system.
  • used on the day of the test a large number of coffee, strong tea;
  • feeling unwell, for example, due to illness.

How the test is done

To go through this method studying personality, a person needs to answer the question at the sight of a card: what do you see in the picture? There is no right or wrong answer here. The Rorschach inkblots are shown in a specific order. As soon as the answers are given, the psychologist will offer the subjects to look at the drawings again. Any answer is accepted, it can be a description of both the whole spot and its part. Cards are allowed to rotate, tilt. At the same time, the psychologist records the answers, analyzes the validity of the test, calculates the scores and gives the result.

There are times when a person does not associate this or that ink spot with anything. This is also not considered an error. This situation indicates that the subject's consciousness is blocking the image or simply does not want to discuss a topic that is not desired at the moment. It is difficult to pass the test with Rorschach blots on your own, it must be done in the presence of a psychologist, otherwise you can only get a “blurred” personality assessment. However, to meet the interest, this is not prohibited.

Decryption

Each test card has an ink blot. A subject looking at Rorschach pictures, with the help of imagination, recreates an animated or inanimate object in his head. Sometimes an ink picture of Rorschach evokes emotions in the subject. There are times when a person does not use all the stain, but part of it. All this must be reported to a specialist. Depending on what the subject saw, a “portrait” of the personality is drawn up. You can take this test yourself using ready-made options answers, as in recreational psychological tests.

First card

The first picture of Rorschach shows a blot of black ink. From the perception of white and black spots, the general psychotype of a healthy subject is determined. The first picture also means the state of the person with whom he came to the Rorschach inkblot test: fear, excitement, etc. Here are some answers and their interpretation:

  • Moth. A person feels unnecessary to society, he is clogged and not sociable, often in a state of depression.
  • Bat. Discomfort within oneself or, on the contrary, a tendency to orientation in "darkness".
  • Butterfly. Symbolizes the stage of rebirth, new beginnings.
  • Animal, including its muzzle. Can mean struggling with real problems. Feeling of discomfort.

Second

The following picture is in black and red. With its help, you can determine the sexuality of a person or understand his ability to control vivid emotions, such as anger or rage. Often respondents see blood, people in prayer, or a long-legged animal. The main answers and their decoding:

  • Two people. Means that in life the subject pays great attention to sex and any close relationship.
  • The man in the mirror. Self-admiration, not devoid of self-criticism.
  • Dog. The subject appreciates and cherishes friendship, will always "turn his shoulder" and come to the rescue.
  • Bear. The respondent strives for leadership, tries to express his superiority with aggression.
  • Negative feelings. A person should face their problems, not run away from them.

Third

This Rorschach picture shows red and black ink blobs. Interpretation is the relation of a person to society. In this blot, people often see two people, a dog, a mole:

  • Two people facing each other. If the characters in the picture are playing a game, this stands for rivalry. People wash their hands - a feeling of "dirt", insecurity. People over food - active communication, a wide circle of friends and acquaintances.
  • Man looking in the mirror. This means inattention to people, egocentrism, inability to understand people.

Fourth

This black-and-white blurry picture on the Rorschach card is called "father's". With its help, the respondent's reaction to authority, leadership qualities, and education is determined. In a blot, people see the skin of an animal, a monster, something big and formidable:

  • Monster, monster, big animal. It stands for recognition of authority, power, a sense of inferiority, weakness. Respect for the father and recognition of him as the main one.
  • Animal skin. The subject suffers from internal dissonance when touching on the paternal topic. However, at the same time, this may mean, on the contrary, not perceiving one's own attitude to the topic of leadership.

Fifth

At this stage of Rorschach testing, the person is asked to look at the black blob. She, like the very first image, symbolizes "I". In this case, the answers coincide by 80-90%. In other cases, the run-up in answers can be perceived as a great emotional impression from cards 2,3 and 4. During testing, respondents see a moth, a butterfly, a bat in the Rorschach picture.

sixth

The sixth Rorschach ink picture is a black and white blot of unusual texture. For many, it is associated with close personal relationships. They call it that - a sexy card. For the subjects, the image resembles the skin of an animal, a hole. This type of perception of the Rorschach blot means detachment from society, loneliness due to unwillingness or fear of loved ones. sexual relations.

seventh

This black and white Rorschach blot is called female or childish. Respondents associate it with women or children, the contours of their heads. If a person cannot explain what he sees in the picture, this means difficult relationships with women. Here are the main visions of the blot:

  • Kiss. If a person sees two heads reaching for each other for a kiss, then this indicates a close relationship with the mother or a desire to be loved.
  • Women's heads. This perception speaks of warm feelings for the mother and for all women in general.
  • Children's heads. These are good childhood memories. The desire to take care of someone and be loved.

eighth

This is the first color Rorschach card, which often causes confusion among respondents. The eighth spot consists of pink, blue, gray and orange blots. If the subject cannot describe what is depicted on it, or feels discomfort, then we can say that he has problems with the analysis of complex emotional situations. In this spot, people see a butterfly, a moth, an animal standing on four legs.

ninth

The second color blot of Rorschach, consisting of orange, pink, green spots. A very difficult picture to perceive, which allows you to assess the ability of the subject to cope with uncertainty and draw up a clear meaning. They see in it:

  • General contours of a person. Indicates that the respondent is able to quickly create order from unorganized information.
  • An image of evil. Such an association testifies to the need for comfort, order, and systematization. Disorder knocks such a person out of the “rut”.

Tenth card

This is the last picture of the test. It is colored, has such shades: blue, yellow, pink, gray, orange. The image evokes positive feelings, but respondents sometimes find it difficult to interpret it. It generates such associations:

  • Crab. Attachment to people and things, tolerance.
  • Lobster. This speaks of tolerance, the strength to resist problems, but at the same time indicates a fear of harming yourself and your loved ones.
  • Spider. Fear difficult situations, fear of falling into a trap, of being caught in a "web".
  • Rabbit head. It means a cheerful disposition, love of life and a willingness to continue one's family.
  • Snake. The head of this animal stands for a sense of deception, danger. Another meaning is secret sexual fantasies, desires.
  • Caterpillar. The head of an insect indicates the possible growth of the subject as a person.

Video

The Rorschach test ("Rorschach spots") is a psychological projection test containing 10 printed cards (5 black and white, and 5 color). It was created in 1921 and published by psychologist Hermann Rorschach in the journal Psychodiagnostik. During the 1940s and 1950s, this test was inextricably linked to clinical psychology.

During most of the 20th century, the Rorschach test was very common and well interpreted. psychological test. For example, in studies in 1947 (Louttit and Browne) and 1961 (Sundberg), it was named, in terms of frequency of use, the fourth and first psychological test, respectively.

Despite its widespread use, the Rorschach test has been associated big number contradictions. Often, researchers have found it difficult to systematically study the test and its results, and the use of several various systems the ratings of the responses given to each image created a certain amount of confusion.

"Rorschach spots" or a test for psychopaths

Life is a hall of mirrors, an amalgam, a Rorschach test, you see in it only what is inside you.
Al Quotion. collocation

History of Rorschach

Hermann Rorschach never told anyone how he came up with the idea for the test. However, like many figures of that time, he often played popular game Blotto (Clexography), in which associations associated with poetry are selected or charades are created using inkblots.

Cards with such ready-made inkblots were readily available in stores at the time. In addition, his close personal friend and teacher Konrad Goering could suggest using these spots as a psychological tool.

When Eigen Bleuler coined the term "schizophrenia" in 1911, Rorschach took an interest in the subject and wrote a dissertation on hallucinations (Bleuler was the chairman of Rorschach's dissertation council). While working with patients with schizophrenia, Rorschach accidentally discovered that they react to Blotto's game differently than other people.

He gave a brief presentation of his discovery to the local psychiatric society, but then that was the end of it. It was only after he opened a psychiatric practice in the Russian Krombaza hospital in Herisau in 1917 that he became interested in systematic research on Blotto's game.

In his studies, which took place from 1918 to 1921, Rorschach used about 40 inkblots, but regularly applied only 15 of them to his patients. Ultimately, he collected data from 405 subjects (117 were not his patients and he used them as controls).

His method of evaluation did not focus on the content of the responses, but on the classification of responses according to their various characteristics. To do this, he used a set of codes - today called ratings - to determine whether the answer was for the entire image (W), a large part of it (D), or a smaller part. The F score was used for the shape detail of the spot, and the C score indicated that the color of the spot was included in the answer.

In 1919-1921 he tried to find a publisher to publish his findings and regularly used 15 inkblot cards. However, all publishers refused to publish all 15 stain images due to the cost of printing. Finally, in 1921, he found a publisher - House of Bircher - who agreed to publish his stains, but only 10 of them. Rorschach revised his manuscript to include only the 10 most used stains out of 15.

Alas, the print was not of high enough quality to properly reproduce the original stains. The original Rorschach spots did not have halftones - they consisted of pure colors. Reproducing them on print added tints. But according to rumors, Rorschach was quite pleased with this appearance of a new addition to his spots. After the publication of a monograph called the Form Interpretation Test ("Analysis of the interpretation of forms"), he died in 1922 in the hospital, where he was placed due to abdominal pain. Rorschach lived to be only 37 years old, and he formally worked on his inkblot tests for only four years.

Grading systems in the Rorschach test

Until the 1970s, there were five main systems for judging the responses given by people who see these spots. Two systems dominated among them - the Beck and Klopfer systems. The other three systems were used less frequently. These were the systems of Hertz, Piotrovsky and Rapaport-Schafer. In 1969, John E Exner, Jr., published the first comparison of these five systems, called The Rorschach Systems ("Rorschach Systems").

The discovery of Exner's startling analysis was that for Rorschach spots, there were in fact no five scoring systems. Exner came to the conclusion that these five systems differ from each other so strongly and significantly that it can be considered that five different "Rorschach tests" were created. It's time to get back to the drawing board.

After his disturbing discovery, Exner set out to create a new, comprehensive Rorschach scoring system that would combine the best components of these five existing systems, supplemented by extensive empirical research on each component.

Work began in 1968, and as part of it, important research was carried out to create a new rating system for Rorschach spots. As a result, in 1973, Exner published the first edition of The Rorschach: A Comprehensive System. In this work, he presented new system grading, which has become the new gold standard (and the only grading system taught to psychologists today).

What does the Rorschach test measure?

The Rorschach Spot Test was not originally intended to be a projective measure of personality characteristics. Instead, he had to build a personality profile of a person with schizophrenia (or another mental disorder) based on frequency ratings.

Rorschach himself was skeptical about using his test to measure personality characteristics projectively.


The Rorschach test at its most basic level is a task that reflects the psychology of the person passing this test, and also establishes some level of understanding of the patient's past and future behavior.

Patients often use imagination to formulate an answer, but the underlying process of solving this problem has little to do with imagination or creativity.

How is the Rorschach test performed?

The person taking the test is presented with a card with a spot printed on it, and the question is asked, "What could it be?". Answers are usually recorded verbatim (today, recorders are used for this), because they will later be evaluated by a psychologist.


The response of the subject to the question of what is shown on the map, Exner divided into three primary phases:
  1. In phase 1, while the person is looking at the map, their brain is encoding the stimulus (spot) and all of its details. Then he classifies the stimuli and their parts, and an informal ordering (ranking) of possible responses appears in the brain.
  2. In phase 2, the person discards the low-ranking possible responses and checks the remaining responses that seem appropriate.
  3. In phase 3, the person selects some of the filtered responses based on characteristic features, styles or other sources of influence.
If a person reacts to the general contours of the spot, then, according to Exner, there is a slight projection. However, when the subject begins to embellish his answer, or adds more information than was originally provided to him, this may be an indication that a projection is taking place at the moment. In other words, the person tells the psychologist something about himself, or about his life, because he goes beyond the characteristics of the spot itself.

Mirror reflections are not much different from Rorschach tests
-
looking at them, we become a victim of our own myopia or our fears.
Ray Bradbury. Midnight dragon dance


After the patient has gone through all ten spots for the first time and told the psychologist what he sees in each spot, the psychologist should again offer each spot to the person, asking the person taking the test to help the psychologist see what the person saw at the first answer. It is here that the psychologist gets certain details for a clearer understanding of what and different aspects and where exactly the subject saw in each spot.

Rorschach score

The evaluation of the Rorschach test is a very difficult task that requires good preparation and experience in administering this test. Only professional psychologists are properly trained and have the experience necessary to correctly interpret the results.

Thus, any "Rorschach test" that you can take online on the Internet, or that is performed/interpreted by a specialist in another field, may give unreliable results or be of little use.

Exner's scoring system tests every aspect of an answer, from how many spots are used to what story is associated with the answer (if presented by the answerer), to the level of detail and content type of the answer. Evaluation begins with examining the quality of the response's elaboration—in other words, how well it is crafted, whether the response is generic, vague, or arbitrary.

The basis of the evaluation is related to the coding of the response in accordance with all the characteristics of the spot that are involved in the formation of the response.

The following characteristics are encoded:

  • Form.
  • Motion - whether motion appears in the response.
  • Chromatic color - when color is used in the response.
  • Achromatic color - when only black, white, or gray is used in the answer.
  • Halftone texture - when a texture is used in the response.
  • Halftone dimension - when halftone-related dimensions are used in the answer.
  • Semitone Scattering - When semitones are used in the answer.
  • Shape dimension - when non-halftone dimensions are used in the answer.
  • Pairs and reflections - when pairs or reflections are used in the answer.
Since many people give complex and detailed answers to the question of what they see in spots, the scoring system uses the concept of "blends" to account for complex responses. These blends take into account multiple objects or the way the object is described.

The response's organizational activity measures how well the response is organized. Finally, it evaluates the quality of the form - that is, how well the answer matches the spot itself (depending on how the person taking the test describes it). If the spot looks like a bear, and the person describes it as a bear, then it may have an "ordinary" quality of shape - perfectly acceptable, but not showing much creativity or originality.

There are, of course, many popular responses to spots that resemble objects or creatures. real life. Exner's scoring system takes this into account by providing extensive tables for each card containing common responses and how they can be coded.

Pictures of Rorschach "spots"







Rorschach test interpretation

After the answers to each card are correctly coded by the psychologist, an interpretative report is formulated based on the response scores. Such a report combines the results obtained from all test answers in such a way that the combined answer cannot distort the results of the test.

First, the psychologist checks the adequacy of the test, stress resistance, and the amount of resources available to the person taking the test, comparing them with the requirements imposed on the patient at this time.

Further, the psychologist must study the individual's cognitive performance, the accuracy of perception, the flexibility of ideas and attitudes, the ability to calm and control one's emotions, goal orientation, self-esteem and interests, as well as the relationship of these aspects with others.

There are also a number of less frequently used special indexes for determining suicidal tendencies, schizophrenia and other abnormalities. Usually all of this can be assessed more quickly during a clinical interview, but the Rorschach test can help identify areas of concern in a patient when some questions remain.

VIDEO: Rorschach passes the Rorschach test

A short segment from the film "Watchmen" about a movie character named Rorschach, who takes the Rorschach test during interrogation by the criminal police.

About the events in the hero's life that changed his psychology as a person for the worse and about his associations on the Rorschach test.

Conclusion

The Rorschach test is not a magical way to look into a person's soul. This is just an empirically validated method of projective measurement of personality characteristics.

It's backed up by almost four decades contemporary research(after the previous four decades of its existence since the first publication of it in 1921).

When asked about what they see in a simple set of ten inkblots, people can often reveal a little more information about themselves than their conscious selves might have intended. This leads to a deeper understanding of the internal motivations of human behavior and the emergence of existing problems.

Rorschach or "rocharch" is a classic of testing based on stimulus materials or Rorschach spots.

Rorschach spots how it all began.

The Rorschach stain was founded by the Swiss psychiatrist Hermann Rorschach (1884-1922).

Rorschach found that those subjects who see the correct symmetrical figure in a shapeless ink blot, usually understand the real situation well, are capable of self-control.

The online rorschach test will introduce you to this projective technique using the example of one of the 10 "rosharch spots".

Heinrich Rorschach as a child. Humor.

Heinrich Rorscharch: “Mommy, what do you see in the stain on my T-shirt?”.

Rorschach's mom "Henry! I still have at least 45 minutes of laundry to do!”.

Heinrich Rorscharch: “In order to decipher these unrealistic fantasies based on repetitive emotions, I will have to become a famous psychiatrist. Poor mommy!"

What do you see on Henry Rorschach's T-shirt?

Projective Rorschach test online.

Look at the picture - the Rorschach spot - and note the emerging emotion and the first free association. , which arises in response to the Rorschach stimulus.

For example, "anxiety" and "the skeleton of the muzzle of some animal."

Then mark your answer in the poll and only then just read the transcript of the Rorschach technique.

Mark the first association that comes to mind.

Deciphering the projective technique of Henry Rorschach.

The meaning of associations in response to the Rorschach spot:

6. Two bears are dancing on the fountain. Quite rare, but not a single association. May indicate schizophrenic and schizophrenic illness. In no case Rorschach test online cannot make a diagnosis, moreover, as serious as schizophrenia. Two bears on the fountain can be seen by both schizophrenics and just people with excellent developed imagination. Most likely you belong to the latter.

7. I don't see any stains or patterns. Most likely, pop-up windows and pictures are disabled in yours. Connect this plugin and take the Rorschach test again.

Other associations are considered individually and require special interpretation.

The meaning of the emotional response to the image of the rosharch spot:

Anxiety- Are you scared or worried about something, are you prone to phobias, disturbing thoughts or. You urgently need a consultation with a psychologist of happiness.

Anger- perhaps now you are not going through the most better times. wrapped your body in a hoop of tension and keeps you from taking decisive action.

Happiness— You and a confident person and no techniques will change your positive attitude and outlook on the world.

Share the projective Rorscharch test online:

What associations do the icons above evoke in you?


Below are ten Rorschach test inkblots printed in the publication Rorschach test - Psychodiagnostic methods indicating the most common responses for the entire image or the most prominent details according to various authors. This material has been in the public domain in Switzerland, the birthplace of Hermann Rorschach, since at least 1992 (70 years after the death of the author or 50 years after the cut-off date of 1942), under Swiss copyright law. They are also in the public domain under United States copyright law, which states: "All works published before 1923 are considered to be in the public domain."

All pictures are clickable

Table I :
Popular answers:

Piotrowski: bat (53%) , butterfly (29%)
Dana (France): butterfly (39%)

A comment: Getting for consideration table I, subjects often ask how they should act, and questions about what they can do with the table (for example, rotate) are not very significant. Being the first table, it may contain information about how the subject solves new, stressful tasks. This does not mean, however, that tables, which are usually difficult for the subject to handle, have popular answers available.

Table II :
Popular answers:
Beck: two people
Piotrowski: quadruped (34%, gray parts)
Dana (France): animal: dog, elephant, bear (50%, grey)

A comment: red details table II are often seen as blood and are the most hallmark. Responses may contain indications of how the subject may manage feelings of anger or aggression. This table can evoke a variety of sexual responses.

Table III :
Popular answers:
Beck: two people (gray)
Piotrowski: human figures (72%, grey)
Dana (France): human (76%, grey)

A comment: Table III usually perceived as two people participating in an interaction, and can provide information about the relationship and connections of the subject with other people (in particular, a delay in response can reveal difficulties in interpersonal, social interaction).

Table IV :
Popular answers:

Piotrowski: animal skin, skin carpet (41%)

A comment: Table IV is different dark color and shading (which creates difficulty for depressed, depressed subjects), and is often perceived as a large, and sometimes threatening, figure. getting worse general impression the subject, who is in a subordinate position ("Looking up") at the table, serves to reveal a sense of authority. The vision of a person or animal in the table is almost always classified as masculine rather than feminine, and these qualities expressed by the subject may indicate attitudes towards men and authorities.

Table V :
Popular answers:
Beck: bat, butterfly, moth
Piotrowski: butterfly (48%), bat (40%)
Dana (France): butterfly (48%), bat (46%)

A comment: Table V is easy to detail, and is not perceived as threatening. Provokes to "change of pace" in the test, after the previous more difficult tables. There are several features contained here that cause concern or complicate development. This is the easiest spot to get a good quality response.

Table VI :
Popular answers:
Beck: animal skin, fur, carpet
Piotrowski: animal skin, fur, carpet (41%)
Dana (France): animal hide (46%)

A comment: Texture is the dominant characteristic table VI, which often causes associations associated with close interpersonal interaction; The table is defined as a "sex spot", and probable sexual perceptions are reported on this table more frequently than on any other. Although other tables have a greater variety of pattern recognition of sexual content.

Table VII :
Popular answers:
Beck: human heads and faces (top)
Piotrowski: heads of women and children (27%, top)
Dana (France): human head (46%, top)

A comment: Table VII may be associated with femininity (the human figures recognizable in it are often described as women and children), and has a function as a "Mother Table", where the difficulty in dealing with it may be due to a preoccupation with problems with female figures in the subject's life. The central detail is relatively often (although not the most popular answer) recognized as a vagina, which makes this table particularly related to the topic of female sexuality.

Table VIII :
Popular answers:
Beck: animal, not cat and dog (pink)
Piotrowski: quadruped (94%, pink)
Dana (France): quadruped (93%, pink)